Dealing with a low body, How does one survive? Options

[Seidaku]

Well, as my first and only character has recently crossed over to the other side, I've decided to play a decidedly different sort. My first character was a heavy-cyber minotaur, with a modified body of 17. My new character is a shaman with a body of 4. Well, at least, that's the current plan. However, based on just a few simple tests, it seems unlikely that the new character will be able to survive if an enemy is *ever* given the chance to shoot at him. I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but even if I roll ALL successes, I could only stage the damage down by two levels. Given that my armor is not as 'uber' as my previous character's, rolling all successes isn't very likely, either.)

Clearly, I cannot be the only person ever to have a character with a body score of less than the absolute maximum possible. Surely those who have done so before have survived (at least for a little while), and I'm interested in knowing how.

I understand that combat is supposed to be lethal; that is part of the thrill, after all. But I cannot fathom how it is even possible for low-body characters to go on runs, given that a single shot is apt to inflict deadly damage.

I also understand that, often times, when shots start flying, the run is already a failure. Sadly, as my group is composed mostly of newbies, we have many 'failures' according to that definition.

So, any suggestions? Could anyone relate previous experiences they've had?

[Herald of Verjig...]

Don't charge into combat. Get cover and do what you do best: magic. If you want to be tougher in a fight, armor (the spell), maybe a barrier (also a spell), and a custom treat spell that is self only.

[Kagetenshi]

I will now slap you until you beg for mercy and admit that 4 body is not "low body".

~J

Edit: for the question at hand: combat pool. Suddenly you're throwing 8 dice.
Oh yes. That and NOT BEING THE MEAT SHIELD. That's what you have characters like your old one for.

[Tanka]

Agreed. If you're playing something with low body, maybe you shouldn't be sitting in the middle of the firefight. Low body characters are either melee or distance (snipers/magic). Don't try to merge a low body character into something a Troll demon would be.

[Fortune]

I don't recall ever playing a character with a Body over 6. 4 is the norm for my magically-active characters, and I don't seem to have too much in the way of problems keeping him alive. Just keep in mind that he is not a combat-oriented character and you should be alright.

[Seidaku]

[Fortune]

So don't have the character look like a mage.

[Guest_Artemis_*]

Exactly.

The troll is what magicians commonly refer to as “The Wall”. Mages take partial cover behind them, cover their own bodies with a safe load of armor and chuck spells from back there while giving the troll spell defense.

4 is pretty high for a mage I'd say. For an effective one at least. Typically my mages average about 2 to 3 or so. Sustain an increased Body spell and some other additives once you've built up enough karma... and you're in good shape.

[Tanka]

Exactly. Give him a gun. Get Masking as quickly as possible. Even give him a few pieces of 'ware and gaesa them off.

[D.Generate]

Herald is right. Seeing most most long lived character was a mage I have a little insite on this.

Here are the rules:

1. You are not a troll you don't stop bullets, stay the hell out of fire lanes and close combat.

2. Magic is your best friend, use spells lile fashion and make over to infiltrate areas with guards. Be creative.

3. Learn masking and quiken metamagic, boost body and initiative with proper spells and quiken and mask them.

4. Take a more supportive roll in combat, bullet barriers and area effect illusion spells.

Un fortunately my rule number 5 won't work for you since you are to be a shaman but I'll list it here anyways.

5. Do not look like a mage, strap on a sword carry an smg, works better if you can actually use the weapons significantly well. Remeber magic in the 6th world don't have to be ellaborate,crazy chanting and arm movements all you have to do is think and it works. Shamans however work a little different its not that they have to dance and act a fool, they choose to. Its like thier belief system so to speak.


Hope that helps some, most importantly be smart don't act like a tank because you are not one.

[D.Generate]

Damn see most of my rules weer covered in the time I took to type that. Oh well just think of that as a quick and easy refresher course list.

[Tanka]

Actually, Shamans don't have to "act a fool," and they don't always choose to. The dead giveaway with a Shaman is the Shamanic Mask. Any time they cast a spell, they look like their totem, moreso for a higher force than a lower force.

[Seidaku]

[Tanka]

[Sunday_Gamer]

I started and up until VERY recently had 2, and now have 3 Body.

I stay BEHIND the Sam!
I just bought some new armor, over which I can slap a force 6 armor spell.
I can also slap that armor on the Sam.
I stay BEHIND the Sam!
My reflexes suck (for now), and my body sucks (cause I'm small!) sooooo
I stay BEHIND the Sam!
My Sam, being terribly clever, has himself a little homemade skill called Bodyguard.
It's a pretty simple skill, you can "give" your rating in dice from your own combat pool to anyone within 10 feet of you to assist in their protection.
Being that I'm small, light and slow, I stay very close to him at all time, because he's easily strong enough to manhandle me like a sack of potatoes, he's a gbjillion times faster than I am and has better hearing and sight so he'll see trouble before I do. Gives me an extra 3 dice (his rating in BG) to dodge behind cover (him).

That's how I stay alive.

Kong

[Seidaku]

[Fortune]

[The Jake]

Avoid combat where you can.

When it cannot be avoided, use spells that either provide armor, shielding and/or ways to avoid detection in the first place (depends on your totem I guess).

Make use of cover and terrain, lighting, etc. Look for ways to make it as difficult for him to hit you as possible. Try to create distractions. Remember if you switch to astral perception you won't suffer from vision penalties like he will and you can still smack him with a sleep spell or powerbolt a lot easier than he can hit you with an SMG.

- J.

[toturi]

Imp. Invisibility. No see, no shoot, no hit, no need to soak/dodge. Haveaniceday. :)

[Cain]

Simple answer: Don't get hit!

Dodge everything you can. Stay behind cover. Let the combat-monsters draw enemy fire. Use your magic defensively (illusions, Barriers) and reserve it for the things only magic can do.

The good thing about going last is, everyone else has acted and shot at the bigger threats.

[Lilt]

I second the 'be invisible' argument. There is a little trick that's commonly used which is that you can cast it at force 1 into a force 1 sustaining focus. The 'trick' is that you can get so many successes that they would need an intelligence of 7+ to see through the spell.

OK: There's still a chance of being hit by stray bullets. Levitating above your target can lower that though.

Finally: the Trauma Dampener is your friend. Not only does it make it less likely that you will die from a single deadly wound (impossible unless you're using the rules for deadly-over damage) but it makes drain easier meaning you can chuck more dice at casting or conjuring.

[Seidaku]

[toturi]

Shouldn't that be casting the invis at as high a force as possible? Your TN is 4, not force of spell but the target's resistance is against your spell's force.

[Lilt]

[Lilt]